Life's Restrictions
by Silverflight23
Summary: You can try to win. Try as long as you'd like. But, if the odds are piled against you, don't expect to win. Life is made to have challenges. Without those life just wouldn't be the same. Everyone would be alike; no one trying to get to the top. What a boring life that would be. We need the challenges, but sometimes those that we face we wish we'd never experienced to begin with.
1. Dianna and Lucario

**_(Thank you, RedWarrior for all you have helped me with!)  
_**

**Life****'****s ****Restrictions**

**Chapter**** I****:**

_Dianna __and __Lucario_

A Lucario watched as the small village before him woke with the morning sun. He was standing on a hill to the west side of the small collection of houses. There was a forest behind him. The trees were a mix of tall oaks, elms, and maples. Their leaves green and shining in the morning sun. There was plenty of room between each tree and the ground was littered with fallen leaves and branches.

Being careful to stay hidden, as Lucario were highly sought after Pokemon in this area, he quietly turned and stepped into the woods and then paused and glanced back at the village behind him. With a small smile, he turned and continued silently through the trees.

A girl who had strayed from her home watched as it disappeared. The girl was 14 years old. She was wearing a purple short sleeved shirt with pants that were torn and rugged, so much that the color of them had faded away. Her eyes were a stunning blue/silver color. Her short hair resembled the silver taint in her eyes. She had a single Pokeball hanging from a chain on her neck. Quickly, she followed the Lucario into the woods, keeping the rare Pokemon in her sights.

Suddenly, the Lucario jumped and landed on the branch of a tree in front of him. There, he crouched and waited, the branch shaking beneath him. Soon, the teen came into view. The Pokemon watched her in curiosity. The girl stopped and looked around, as if wondering where the Lucario could have gone. A slight rustle of the leaves in the tree above her head alerted her to his presence. She turned her head upward and locked eyes with the Pokemon. She smiled a warm smile that would have melted even the coldest ice.

"You know you don't have to hide," the girl said quietly in a voice barely loud enough to hear.

_~I __know__, __I __just __didn__'__t __know __for __sure __if __it __was __you __or __one__ of __**them**__.~ _ the Lucario spat the word _'__them__'_ as if it was venom. ~_You __can __never __be __too __careful__, __right__?_~ The Lucario was speaking by use of telepathy.

"I guess. So, what are we doing today?" the girl asked, excitement creeping into her voice.

The Lucario said nothing but jumped off of the tree and into a small, warm patch of sunlight and smiled. _So__, __show __me __what __you __can __do__, __as __a __review __of __sorts__.~ _he said calmly, getting into a fighting stance. His smile turned into a smirk.

"You got it!" the girl said. The girl reached for the Pokeball on her neck and un-clipped it with a gentle tug. She said nothing as she tossed it high into the air. The ball fell down and opened right before it touched the leaves that littered the ground. A flash of white light signaled the arrival of another Pokemon. As the light faded the Pokemon let out a cry of "Dratini!" and settled to await orders from its trainer.

"Dratini, use flamethrower!" the girl commanded. The Dratini did so without question. The attack roared at frightening speeds towards the Lucario. Hastily, he summoned a Protect shield. The flames, though fast, weren't all that powerful and were easily blocked by the shimmering wall of energy in front of the Pokemon.

_~Very __good__. __But __I __see __you __still __need __a __little help __on __the __power__.~ _the Lucario said. He concentrated and formed a ball of blue energy in his paws. He then threw the Aura Sphere at the Dratini. The trainer smirked and ordered her Pokemon to create a Protect shield. The Aura Sphere seemed to struggle to break the shield, but not even the power packed ball could not penetrate the wall of energy and it soon lost all of its energy, shrinking until it dissipated.

_~Well __done__, __you __have __completely __mastered __Protect__. __I__'__m __proud __of __you__.~_The Pokemon mused.

"Well, I am not the same girl I was when I first found you and you should know that by now," the girl countered. "I've grown a lot, thanks to you. Soon, Dratini will evolve and we will be the best pair in the world!"

_~Yeah__, __sure __just __keep __thinking __that__. __You __need __to __learn __you__'__ll __never __be__ the__ strongest__.~ _The Lucario growled darkly.

"I wish you would stop saying that, Lucario. We will be the strongest. No one will stop us!," the girl said confidently, giving the Pokemon a hard stare. "Now, Dratini, Dragon Breath!"

The Lucario's eyes widened in surprise and he just barely dodged but not without a few hairs being singed.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you?" The girl said with a laugh, her smile back.

_~You __got __me __there__.~ _The Lucario laughed. ~_But __let__'__s__ see __how __you __block__ this __one__.~_

Later, the pair stopped their playful fight. Lucario gasped for breath, having come out of the fight with only a few scrapes. The girl and Dratini, however, were looking worse for wear. Dratini was missing a few scales and had plenty of bruises littering her body. Dianna had managed to get a few bruises and cuts herself from flying twigs and stones the battle had churned up. Wordlessly, she recalled her Dratini to its Pokeball and clipped it to her necklace.

_~I__'__ve __gotta __admit__, __that __was __better __than __expected__, __Dianna_.~ Lucario praised. ~_But__, __I__'__ve __got __to __go __now__. __I __have __other __things __to__ do__ before __the __end __of __the __day__.~ _Dianna nodded as she had been expecting that and Lucario left, disappearing into the woods.

* * *

**Lucario** stopped only when he arrived at a lake. The lake was small, barely bigger than a pond. The water in the lake was a clear, blue color. Kneeling down on one knee, Lucario muttered, ~_Master__, __come __home __soon__. __I miss you__.~_

He rose and stretched. The sun began to sparkle upon the water. Lucario looked at it and smiled faintly. The way the water sparkled reminded him of the days he had spent with his trainer. Knowing remembering would do him no good, Lucario hastily left the lake's edge.

The sun shone down through the trees, casting speckled, dancing lights on the ground. As Lucario walked, tall ferns gently brushed against his legs. Once or twice, his feet got caught in a tangle of plants and unbalanced him for a few heartbeats but it wasn't hard for the Pokemon to regain his balance.

The sky above Lucario's head was a calming shade of blue. The sun was high in the sky. Any clouds floating around were a soft shade of white. Lucario narrowed his eyes when he saw a large shape circling around his head. The shape stopped right above Lucario's head and dove, heading straight towards the rare Pokemon.

With a grunt, Lucario leapt out of the way of the incoming shape. Pulling out of the dive at the last minute, the creature let out a squawk as it landed, still flapping its large wings and looked straight at Lucario, beak wide open.

Using his knowledge of Pokemon behavior, Lucario realized that this Pokemon, who was a Pidgeot, was looking for a fight. This was the last thing he wanted to do right now. However, Lucario had a reputation to uphold. Losing to this weak-looking Flying-Type would not be an option.

Lucario concentrated, directing his energy to his paws, which were stretched out in front of him. As he shot the small ball at the Eagle Pokémon, he felt a little of his energy leave him. He was still tired from the battle with Dianna's Dratini. This most likely wouldn't be an easy battle.

The ball of energy rocketed towards the Pidgeot, who simply grunted as the ball exploded on its chest. Too late, Lucario remembered the type disadvantage he was at. Fighting types and Flying types were great in a battle together, but not when fighting against one another.

"Pidgoo," it cried in anger as it beat its wings quickly not missing a beat. Lucario shifted his left leg behind him and leaned forward, bracing himself. Once again, he charged an Aura Sphere and tossed it into the wind in an attempt to shield himself from the Gust attack. Unfortunately, this did not work out as well as he had hoped and he quickly found himself flying back in response to a combination of Gust and Aura Sphere, his attack having been tossed back at Lucario as if he had never even tossed it.

Lucario screamed in pain as he was picked up into the air and tossed at least his own body length before slamming into the ground and sliding a ways further. He could feel his fur being pulled out and gashes being left on his skin by the ferns and sticks that littered the forest. He lay where he stopped for a few seconds before struggling to his feet.

Looking towards the Pidgeot, he saw it hovering just above the ground. The bird's wings began to glow an eerie white. With a fierce battle cry, the bird launched itself at Lucario. Lucario immediately readied a Shadow Ball, an attack his Master had taught him. Just as the bird came into range, he flung the ball of dark energy towards it. With a echoing boom, the ball exploded. Lucario heard the Pidgeot cry out. As the smoke from the explosion cleared, he saw the Flying type panting on the ground. It tried to raise its wings to fly, but winced before they were all the way open. Lucario raised his paw as a signal for it to stop.

_~Good__ fight__, __Pidgeot__. __If __you__ were __anything __other __than __a__ Flying__ type__ Pokemon __you __may __not __have__ been __so __lucky __in __this __fight__. __Its __been __a __long __time__ since __anyone__'__s __made __me__ pull __out__ my__ Shadow __Ball __attack__. __Keep __training__. ~ _Lucario praised.

_~Here__,~ _Lucario said and handed it the only Oran berry he had on him. He knew where to get more and, even though his injuries were bothering him, they could wait until later.

* * *

**Dianna** was wandering around the small town when someone cried out, "Dianna!" she turned around. It was her friend, Amber. "Dianna, wait," Amber panted, stopping beside the girl.

Amber, like Dianna, was 14 years old. She had brown hair and blue eyes that were speckled with green and grey. She wore a yellow shirt with jean shorts that fell down to just above her knees. She also wore a Pokeball around her neck.

"Pidgeot is hurt!" Amber said, still gasping for air. "I seen her land somewhere in the forest. Dianna, we have to help!"

"Lucario!" Dianna muttered under her breath. Amber glanced at her.

"What?" Amber asked.

"Nothing. I'll go get some berries, you wait here," Dianna said quickly. No one except herself knew of the rare Pokémon that stalked the woods. Dianna had met Lucario one day when she was lost in the dark woods. A wild Pikachu was threatening to shock the poor girl, when Lucario came in and scared the Pikachu away with a well aimed Aura Sphere to its feet. The Pikachu ran off, frightened. From then on, Lucario became Dianna's second favorite Pokémon, after Dratini that is.

"Let's go!" Dianna cried and started for the woods.

"Dianna, this way!" Amber called, charging the opposite way.

"Oh.." Dianna said, changing direction and pelting after her friend. Amber raced towards another section of the woods and stopped just inside of the trees. It took Dianna just a short amount of time to reach the other girl. When she did, she found Amber kneeling on the ground and holding the injured Pidgeot. She flinched slightly, looking at the Pokemon's injuries. They weren't too serious, but they definitely weren't something to ignore.

"It's alright, buddy. I'm sure you're just fine. Lucario would never hurt you too badly. He knows your limits," Dianna murmured just quietly enough for the Pokémon's acute hearing to hear her and not Amber. She took her bag off her back and pulled out a Sitrus berry. Feeding it to Pidgeot, she smiled. Dianna had known for a long time that Lucario was often challenged to a battle by this certain bird. By the looks of it, the Pidgeot had gotten stronger since their first battle and was now beginning to fight back.

_Lucario __must __be __hurt__ too__. _Dianna thought with a hint of worry flickering in her eyes. The Pidgeot cooed slightly as if to say, 'Lucario's fine.' Dianna gave the Pidgeot a relieved look.

"Is he better yet?" Amber asked.

"As good as new," Dianna chirped, stepping back so Amber could see.

"That's wonderful! Thanks, Dianna," Amber said, obviously relieved.

The Pokemon stood up and let out a loud cry. Laughing, Amber followed it as it flew into the woods.

* * *

**Lucario** paused at a lake. The lake was so clear, you could see a speck of dirt all the way in the middle if you were standing on the shore. He settled down to meditate.

_Master __may __never __come __back__. __He__ may __be__ gone__ forever__. __People__ are__ going __to__ start __to__ notice __me__, __lurking __in __the__ forest__. __Dianna__ already __has__. __How__ long__ before __her __friend__ finds __out__? __What __a __selfish __trainer __I__'__ve __ended __up__ with__.. __If __only __he __were__ more __like __Dianna__.. __Why__ isn__'__t __he__?_

Lucario shook his head. Some questions couldn't be answered until after they have been asked. This he knew. He once asked himself if his master would ever leave. That question couldn't be answered then but it can now.

Lucario's master left about three years ago with shining eyes claiming, "There's a wide world out there, Lucario. it's waiting for me, I just know it." Master looked at Lucario, smile fading. "Lucario… I don't know what to say… But I've made up my mind. I have to go. I'll be back, I hope. Until then, wait here for me." With that the man left his Pokémon in the very woods he has stayed in. Lucario forever missing his teacher and friend.

_And __yet__, __anything __is __possible_… Was Lucario's last meditative thought as he opened his eyes. A rustle in the bushes announced the arrival of someone or something. Lucario's heart rate sped up, startled. No one usually came near Lucario while he was at the lake. He stood and turned towards the noise.

* * *

**Dianna** smiled as she watched the pair disappear into the horizon. She began to think about her own Pokemon and looked down at her Pokeball.

Dratini was Dianna's first and only Pokemon for the many years even before she began to give it training. Dratini and Dianna had always been best friends.

They were happy together. Always the center of attention it seemed. But, happiness can't last forever. One year, a group of criminals had come and taken almost all that she cared about away from her.

* * *

**Flash****-****Back**

* * *

It was a warm, summer day. Life was normal in Dianna's household. Her mother was making breakfast in the kitchen while her dad was outside feeding the family's two Ponyta and Miltank. Dianna and her younger brother, Aaron, were playing with Dianna's Dratini in the back yard.

Dianna's mother called for her children to come inside for breakfast. Aaron got up and raced towards their four room, two story home while Dianna returned Dratini to her Pokeball and followed him.

The family was just sitting down to eat when Dianna heard a boom outside. The whole family froze and Dianna felt her heart skip a beat. Then, Dianna's mother got up and raced to the door, flung it open, and hurried outside. Dianna was just about to follow when she heard her mother's scream.

Dianna found her body paralyzed by fright. Then, Aaron got up and ran out of the kitchen, in the direction that the scream came from. Startled out of shock by the movement, Dianna followed.

Outside was a sight she would never forget. The first thing she noticed was the barn, a barn that had withstood many lightning storms and lightning strikes, burning down. The second thing that her eyes observed was her mother's bleeding body laying on the grass a few feet from the door. She felt tears come to her eyes as she took in the deep, deadly scratches on her mother. Dianna tried to scream, but nothing came out except for a strangled noise.

All of a sudden, a weight slammed into her and knocked her to the ground. She heard a loud growling. She silently screamed again as her eyes met those of a Zangoose. Claws dug into her stomach, ripping long scratches into her skin. The pain was so intense, her brain couldn't even remember to scream. Not that it would have mattered, nothing would have stopped the crazed Pokemon from attacking.

Then, all of a sudden the pain was gone. Dianna hardly noticed as dark spots danced across her eyes. A sharp pain in her head caused her to black out.

When she woke, she was in a hospital bed. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked around, unsure of where she was. Then, a gentle voice beside her said; "it's alright, you'll be fine now." Dianna moved her head slightly and gasped at the pain that the movement caused. She felt dizzy, her head throbbing.

"Easy," the voice said again. Dianna just closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep - away from all the pain and white.

She woke later that night to find the T.V. on in her room. She slowly moved her head around and took in her surroundings. She finally realized that he was in a hospital. The digital clock on the wall told her it was after 2 am. Her eyes then landed on the T.V.

_A __house __was __broken __into __yesterday __by __a __gang __of __thieves__. __They __started __with __the __family__'__s__ barn __and __killed __the __man __inside __before __burning __him__, __the __barn__, __and__ the __Pokemon __inside__. __After __that__, __they __ordered__ a __Zangoose __to __attack__ and __kill __a __woman__. __The __Zangoose __then__ attacked __a__ young__ girl__, __giving __her __deep __gashes __to __the __stomach __and __cuts __on __her __arms__._

_A __neighbor __saw __the __flames __and __alerted __officials__. __By __the __time __fire crews__arrived__, __it __was __too __late__. __The __only __survivor __was __the __young __girl __and __a __Dratini__. __We __are __currently __trying __to __get __more __information__, __but __the __Police __have __not __released __the __names __of __the __victims__. __More __on __this __later__._

Dianna just stared at the T.V. not really registering what they had said except for one word; Zangoose. Just the sound of it sent chills down Dianna's spine and the cuts on her stomach burned. _Why__? _She thought as she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

**End ****of**** Flashback****.**

* * *

Dianna had no family. She had lost them to a mostly unknown group of thugs. All she had left was Dratini. She lived on her own, supposedly on a journey to collect Pokemon badges. That, however, was not something Dianna wanted to do at the time being. She wanted nothing more but to have her family back. But the world is an unforgiving place. There are no second chances at life. All one can do is keep pushing forward and getting stronger so they can protect those around them.

* * *

**Current ****words****: 3,359**

**Current ****story**** Views****: 0**

**Current ****story ****reviews****: 0**

**Updated on: 4/10/12  
**

**End**** of ****Chapter**** 1. ****Thanks**** for ****reading****. ****I**** hope ****you ****liked ****it****.**

**This ****story ****has ****been ****re****-****edited****. ****Major ****changes ****have ****taken ****place****. ****Please****, ****I ****need ****some ****REVIEWS****. ****If ****you ****liked ****it****, ****I ****ask ****you ****to ****leave ****at ****least**** 1 ****review ****for ****the ****story**** - ****the ****whole ****story****. ****Just ****one****, ****please****? ****Thank ****you****!**


	2. Together We Fight

******(Thank you, RedWarrior702!)**

**Life****'****s ****Restrictions****:**

**Chapter ****II****-**

_Together__ We __Fight_

* * *

**Lucario** stood up and got into a battle stance. Too many people had been wandering the woods lately. You never could be sure if they meant you harm or not.

The bipedal Pokémon considered using his Aura Sight, but every time he did that he remembered his master. The bushes rustled once more and Lucario made up his mind. Placing his hands about one foot apart, he readied an Aura Sphere. Speaking telepathically, he said, ~_Come __out __if __you __don__'__t __wish __to __be __harmed_,~ Silence greeted his words.

Lucario didn't want to hurt the creature in the bush, but he didn't want himself to be hurt by it either. So he did the only thing that came to mind and directed his Aura Sphere at the bush, but slightly to the left so it exploded on the edge of the leaves.

And a voice, human, said quietly, "Bad idea, my friend." Lucario's eyes widened. He knew that voice. His heart rate sped up. _This __isn__'__t __good__._ He thought. The last time he fought this particular man he and his Master had been badly hurt. _Not__ again__._ Lucario decided.

He heard the man say something quietly. In response, a beam of ice flew out of the bush and exploded against Lucario's chest spike. Gasping in shock and pain, Lucario flew through the air, too stunned to brace himself against a tree that had been behind him. He crashed into it and fell to the ground with a thump. As he was struggling to stand back up, another Ice Beam hit him again. He fell back to the ground again. The attacks were coming too quickly for Lucario to react. He tried to push himself back up. Just as he got his legs underneath him, a Zangoose lept out of the bush and slammed into him. The impact sent him skidding backwards on his back. He lay where he stopped, trying to think of a plan of action.

"Lucario, we meet again," The man spoke, walking out of the bush he was hiding in. The Zangoose hopped back to stand beside his trainer.

~_What __do __you __want_?~ Lucario gasped.

"Not much, I just saw you over here so I'd thought I'd drop by. And maybe something else," the man said. "Zangoose, if you'd please." His Pokemon nodded and readied another attack. Lucario braced himself, knowing this was going to be a tough fight.

* * *

**Dianna** was just walking back to town when Dratini, who had been outside of her Pokeball, suddenly stopped walking.

"What is it?" Dianna asked her Pokemon.

"Dratini! Dratini!" she said back. "Dra!" Dratini began to hurry towards the woods.

Dianna was confused. Oh, how she wished she knew what Dratini was saying. She could tell by the tone of her Pokemon's voice that something was wrong but she didn't know what. Usually when Dratini wanted to say something to Dianna, Lucario would translate. He wasn't here now, though. _Something__'__s __wrong__, __I __know __it__. _"Wait!" She cried as she caught back up to Dratini. "Now, why don't you stay closer to me next time?"

"Dra.." Dratini said, looking at the woods. "Dratini!"

"Okay, let's go. Lead the way and stay close!" Dianna said, feeling slightly exasperated and frustrated at Dratini and herself.

* * *

**The **Zangoose charged forward. If the man had ordered an attack, Lucario must have missed it. He desperately tried to force his body to move. He had just shakily stood up when Zangoose reached him and stopped just feet from Lucario. Their eyes met for a second and Lucario tried to move out of the way. Before he could move, Zangoose thrust his glowing metal claws into Lucario's stomach. Lucario's eyes widened as he felt himself tossed into the air and thrown several feet before landing on his side and skidding across the ground. He felt dizzy and saw spots dance across his eyes.

_No__, _he thought to himself. _No__, __I __will __not __loose __this __way__. _Slowly, he struggled back to his feet, only to find himself tackled back to the ground by his opponent. Once again, he forced himself to his feet, only to fall back down as one of his legs buckled under him. He closed his eyes, wanting to block out all the pain in his body. When he opened them, he saw a smirking Zangoose standing directly above him, Lucario glared at him until his eyes began to blur and he closed them again. He didn't move - his head was spinning and his muscles ached. _That __Zangoose__'__s __fast! __I__ can__'__t __even __get __a __hit __in__! __How __can__ I __beat __something __I __can__'__t __even __counter__? _Desperately, Lucario raised his paw. He began to concentrate, determined to use Protect. The shield flickered into place between him and the Zangoose. His arm shook, and the shield faded. Lucario's paw fell back down again. _I __don__'__t __even__ have__ the __energy __to __hold __a __Protect__! _He realized. _If __only __I__'__d __kept __that __Oran __Berry__!_

* * *

**Dianna** rushed through the woods following Dratini. She was being led deeper into the woods than she had ever been. _Lucario__, __it __has __to __be__ him__._ She thought.

All of a sudden, Dratini stopped. She looked back at Dianna, then turned forward again. Dianna hurried forward. What she saw shocked her.

Lucario was laying on the ground on the far side of the clearing that opened up in front of her. There were several skid marks on the ground around the clearing. Above Lucario stood a Pokemon that terrified Dianna. It was the same as the one that had killed her family! She watched as a protect flickered into place between Lucario and the other Pokemon and then faded out.

Dianna's heart stopped. She couldn't move, could hardly breath. "Dratini?" She heard her Pokemon ask. The sound didn't register in her frozen brain. "Dra!" The Pokemon tried again, no response. "Dra, Dratini dradra," Dratini said more urgently. Getting frustrated, Dratini reached forward and gently nipped Dianna on the arm. Slowly, Dianna's gaze was torn away from the fight and toward her arm. She stared blankly at it for a few seconds and then turned to her Pokemon.

"Did you just bite me?" Dianna asked stupidly. Dratini looked at her for a second, and nodded.

"You bit me..." Dianna said again. Then, her brain choose to work again. "That hurt!" she whispered, remembering where she was. She turned back to the clearing holding her arm. "Lucario's not doing too good.." she observed.

"Dratini! Drani!" Dratini chirped.

"Hmm..." Dianna muttered. "Well, let's give it a try. That Pokemon looks tough, though. You think you can handle it?"

"Tini," Dratini said confidently.

"Okay, let's do it."

* * *

Lucario was exhausted. He just wanted to give up. He had no energy but something was urging him to get back up; keep fighting. He would have but he no longer had the energy. He had failed, that fact had drilled deep into his already broken heart and split the crack a little more. Memories he had blocked came back, no longer being restrained.

* * *

_The __sky __was __overcast__. __But __to __Lucario __it __felt __like __it __was __sunny__. __He __had __just __beaten __a __number __of __trainers __that __had __gotten __in __his __master__'__s __way __and __won __with __barely __a __scratch__. __His __master __was __beaming __proudly __at __his __number __one __Pokemon__. __Together__, __they __entered __a __town__, __the __first __one __they __had __been __to __in __weeks__. __The __first __place __they __visited __was __the __Pokemon __Center__. __Because __Lucario __was __not __injured__, __his __master __just __asked __for __some __food __for __both __of __them__. __When __they __were __done __eating__, __they __both __left __the __Center __and __went __to __check __out __the __gym__._

_The __first __thing __Lucario __noticed __when __he __walked __through __the __gym __doors __with __his __master __was __that __this __was __a __water __gym__. __It __was __the __first __he __had __ever __been __to__, __but __it __was __obvious __thanks __to __the __large __pool __sitting__ dead__ center __in __the __middle __of __a __battle __court__. __There __were __several __platforms __for __non__-__water __species __floating __in __the __water__. __After __his __master __announced __his __challenge__ to __whoever __was __there __listening__, __a __girl __appeared__. __The __humans __exchanged __words __and__ soon __Lucario __found __himself __on__ one __of __the __platforms __in __the __water__, __ready __to __fight__._

_The __fight __was __easy __at __first__. __The __gym __leader __had __sent __out __a __weak __level __Finneon __which __Lucario __quickly __beat__. __The __next__, __a __Qwilfish__, __was __slightly __harder __but __Lucario __was __still __able __to __defeat __it __without __much __trouble__. __It __was__ the __last __Pokemon __that __caused__ Lucario__ the __most __problems__. __It __was __a __Milotic__. __The __fight __was __short __and __one __sided__. __Lucario __was __knocked __out __easily__. __However__, __he __would __never __forget __what __the __Milotic __told __him__._

_"__For __every __three __wins__, __there__'__s __a __loss __waiting __for __you __in __the __future__. __Don__'__t __try __to __run __away __from __it__, __let __it __come __at __you __full __force__. __If __you __run__, __it__'__ll __only __get __more __wins __piled __on __top __of __it __and __you__'__ll __be __hurt __worse __in __the__ long __run__. __Remember __that__."_

Lucario felt his strength draining. It looked like there was no hope for him. He would fall. Even after all his hard work getting stronger, helping Dianna and Dratini get stronger, it would still not be enough. If only he had trained harder; focused on his training instead of theirs, he might have won this fight. He thoughts left him as he gave into the darkness.

* * *

**"****Okay****, **here's what we are going to do," Dianna whispered. She quietly told Dratini of her plan.

"Dra," Dratini nodded. The serpent like Pokemon started to sparkle with electricity. Dianna moved back just a little bit to prevent herself from being shocked.

"Do it," Dianna whispered. Dratini let all the electricity in her body rush out and strike the Zangoose that had been attacking Lucario. The Pokemon screamed in pain and fell to one knee, having taking a direct hit from Dratini's powerful Thunderbolt attack.

"Dragon Rage," Dianna whispered to her Pokemon. Dratini took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, flames flew toward the Zangoose and missed when the Pokemon dodged at the last second, jumping into the air high enough to get a good look at his attacker.

"Zangoose, zan!" he called to his trainer. The trainer followed Zangoose's gaze to the bushes Dianna and Dratini were hiding in.

"Zangoose, Quick Attack," he muttered coldly. The Pokemon let out a cry and angled his body downward. The Zangoose landed on the ground feet first and charged forward, his speed picking up to levels any human would never beat. Dianna and Dratini didn't have any time to react before the Pokemon was on top of them.

The attack was powerful. Not strong enough to knock Dratini out, but strong enough to knock them out of the bushes. Dianna felt the wind get knocked out of her when she rammed into a tree. The world began to fade in and out as she gasped for air. Her chest burned - it felt like her lungs were being filled up with fire. Her head began to pound. Then, as soon as it left her, her breath came back. Greedily, she gasped for air. Her vision cleared, though her headache did not let up. She opened her eyes, not realizing she had ever closed them, and looked frantically around for Dratini. She found the Pokemon looking at her worriedly a few feet away. "I'm okay," she croaked out.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? The two 'rescuers', I see." the voice startled Dianna and her head snapped around to where it came from. The man who had attacked Lucario stood in front of her. Dianna struggled to sit up.

"Ah ah, none of that now, I wouldn't want you to get hurt," the man said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and applied a little force, effectually stopping her.

"Let me go!" she cried in anger and began to wiggle her body around.

The man grabbed her chin in his free hand and forced her to look him in the eyes. "You will stop this nonsense. You're too young to be getting involved in grown up affairs. Zangoose," he called. Dianna could only watch as the white and red Pokemon smirked and advanced on Dratini. She could see a sphere of blue light forming between the Pokemon's paws.

Dratini tried her best to get away, but the Zangoose was quicker. It shot the ice beam right onto Dratini's back. Dratini cried out in pain. "Dratini!" Dianna cried, her efforts to escape renewed. One of her legs caught the man holding her down in the gut and caused his right hand, the hand holding her down, to let go of her. Dianna quickly scrambled away and rushed towards her Pokemon. "Dratini!" she said softly as she looked at the injured Pokemon as she knelt beside her.

"Dra tini! Dratini," the Pokemon said, wiggling away from its trainer. Dratini looked injured but not so bad she couldn't fight.

"Okay, then.." Dianna said uncertainly. "Use Flamethrower then Thunder," she instructed.

Dratini nodded and followed Dianna's instructions. The Zangoose screeched as the attacks landed on it but it managed to stay standing. Its fur was charred and smoking in several places.

"Ice beam again, Zangoose," the man growled. He said it so quietly Dianna could hardly hear him.

"Dratini use Protect!," Dianna ordered. The Ice Beam hit the shield. It was a powerful attack but Dratini managed to keep her shield up although it wavered a few times.

"Follow up with a Dragon Rage!" Dianna commanded.

"Dra," Dratini answered with a nod. The Dragon Rage hit the spot where the Zangoose was standing. There was an explosion and the resulting smoke blocked Dianna's view of her opponent. Suddenly, something bowled into her side and flung her back. Dianna cried out as she felt her back and head slam into the tree. The pain was horrible! She couldn't think. The world spun in many different ways. Dianna lost track of what way was up and which was down.

The next few minutes were a blur. She remembered seeing another explosion but wasn't able to make out where it came from. Before she knew it, she had lost consciousness.

…..

She woke later with a major headache. It took a few minutes for her to focus her eyes. She was startled to see another face staring into her own. "What? Who are you," she asked, her voice sounding hoarse.

"Shh," the voice was male. "Here, drink up." the stranger pressed a cold glass of water to her lips. Quickly, Dianna gulped down the water. While she did so, the stranger began to talk.

"I was walking through the woods when I heard the sounds of fighting. I followed the sound and when I got here you were out cold. Me and one of my Pokemon chased off the man who had attacked you. You've been out for around ten minutes."

"Where's Dratini... Lucario..." Dianna choked out.

"You're Dratini's fine. I didn't see a Lucario..." he handed her a Pokeball. "I put the Dratini back in its ball. It was hurt pretty bad."

Dianna took the ball and pressed it to her lips before clipping it back on to its holder. "Lucario, I want to know where he is,"

"I already told you, I don't know."

"No..." Dianna cried. "You have to find him! He was hurt... That man! He must've taken Lucario!"

"Relax! I'm sure your Lucario's around here somewhere. Why would he want your Lucario?"

"He's not _my _Lucario. He's a friend of mine."

"What do you mean? Is he a wild Lucario?".

"No, he's not wild. He belongs to someone. He's never told me who..."

"So he was abandoned."

"No, he wasn't abandoned! He said his trainer told him to wait here in these woods for him. Please, we have to find him!"

"We will... but I don't see why he's your responsibility. He's not your Pokemon. He's not your responsibility."

"Yes he is! He's my friend. As much of a friend as Dratini is. Please, you have to look."

"I will, but let's get you home. You need to rest."

"No! You said you'd help me find Lucario!"

"I know what I said and I said I would help. I never said when. You are in no shape to be walking around looking for some Pokemon. You need to get home."

"No. Not without Lucario. I won't leave without Lucario."

"Ugh. Fine. Where'd you last see him?"

"Over there." She pointed in the direction she thought was the clearing. "He was laying by a tree. He's hurt bad. I think he fainted.

"Alright, wait here," the man hurried off into the woods.

* * *

**Chapter ****Words****: 2,994  
**

**Current ****Story ****Words****: 6,303  
**

**Current ****Story ****Views****: 25**

**Current ****Story ****Reviews****: 1**

**Uploaded****: 7/24/11**

**So****, ****there ****you ****have ****it****, ****chapter**** 2. ****Please****, ****review****! ****I ****need ****the ****inspiration****. **

**Once**** again****, ****please ****leave ****at ****least**** 1 ****review****. ****Just ****one****. ****Review ****this ****chapter ****and ****you ****can ****ignore ****this ****little ****beg ****at ****the ****end ****of ****the ****chapter****. ****Just ****one ****for ****the**** story****, ****not ****just ****this ****chapter****... ****Thank ****you ****for ****reading****! **


	3. Tiler and Willow

**Life****'****s ****Restrictions****: **

**Chapter**

**III****-Tyler and Willow**

* * *

The man returned quickly, hauling an unconscious Lucario over his shoulder. "Here ya go!" he said as he set the injured Pokemon down beside Dianna. "One injured Lucario."

"Oh, Lucario! I'm so sorry!" Dianna whispered softly as she took in all of Lucario's wounds. "What happened to you?"

"Well I'd feel better if we were out of these woods," the man broke in. Dianna gave him a weak glare.

"Yeah, you're right.." Dianna agreed reluctantly. "Let's go, I'll walk. You carry Lucario, okay?"

"Sure, make me carry the dirty Pokemon..." he said sarcastically before grabbing Lucario once again.

...

They arrived in the village Dianna lived in just after dark. The first thing the man did was take Lucario to the local healer. The village was too small to support a full Pokemon Center, so they had a healer. Tyler attempted to get Dianna to head back to her own house, but she refused saying Lucario and Dratini did not deserve to be left in an unfamiliar house by themselves.

The healer went and got them some blankets, laid them on the floor, and apologized for not having proper beds for them. Tyler politely told her they were used to it. Dianna laid down on her blanket, expecting sleep to be hard to achieve but it wasn't. She was asleep after five minutes of laying down.

...

Dianna woke up later that day and decided to go see Lucario and Dratini. The healer lady told Dianna that Dratini was all better but Lucario would have to stay at least until noon. Dianna was very relieved. As soon as she got Dratini's Pokeball, she ran outside to let her Pokemon out.

Dratini appeared in a flash of light. "Dratini!" She cried when she saw Dianna. "Dra Dratini!"

"I'm fine," Dianna answered back. "Lucario will be fine, too."

"Dra!" Dratini cried happily.

"Alright, come on. We need to hunt down that strange guy. He's the one who saved us. He wasn't in the healer's house when I woke up." Dianna said.

...

It took the pair a while to find him. They had just begun to give up hope when they found him eating in one of the few places to eat the town had to offer.

"Hi," Dianna said shyly as she sat down in the chair across from him. Dratini sat next to her on the floor.

"Hello," he answered. "How's Lucario?"

"He's fine, he'll be good to go soon."

"That's good."

"Listen, thanks for saving us. I don't know what would have happened otherwise."

"No problem. Who was he, anyway?"

Diana hesitated, unsure. "I'm not really sure. I think Lucario knew him..."

"Oh.." was the man's reply.

"What's your name? I guess I never asked... I'm Dianna."

"Tyler. Why would someone attack that Lucario?"

"I'll ask him," Dianna said. "He'll tell me, I think."

"How? Pokemon can't talk!" Tyler said, confused

"Lucario has a special ability that lets him communicate telepathically to those close to him," Dianna explained. "He's never explained how he got it... It might be a family thing. I don't know."

"That's a little strange. He's not a psychic type Pokemon, so why can he use an ability only psychic Pokemon can have?" Tyler mumbled to himself.

"Don't know... So, you ordering anything or not? I'm getting hungry," Dianna asked. Tyler nodded and called a waitress over to give her their orders.

...

After lunch, Dianna and Tyler returned to the healer's house. Lucario was outside slowly stretching out his body. ~_Dianna__!~ _he exclaimed as soon as he saw her. ~_Are __you__ okay__?~_

"I'm fine, Lucario. It's you who got hurt." Dianna answered. "This is Tyler. He beat the guy who attacked you."

~_Thanks__, __I __guess__..._~ Lucario answered uncertainly.

"Sure," Tyler answered back. "So, how'd you learn to talk?"

~_My __master__,_~ Lucario answered. ~_Why__?_~

"No reason. I've just never met a non-psychic Pokemon that can use Telepathy." Tyler said.

"Umm... So, Lucario... You must've been tired if that guy beat you so easily." Dianna said, a little uncomfortable.

~_No__, __he __was __just __really __fast_,~ Lucario growled back. ~_You __shouldn__'__t __have __gotten __involved__._~

"Why not? He was hurting you! I couldn't stand back and watch! He could've..." Dianna shot back.

~_It __wasn__'__t __your __fight__,_~ Lucario snarled back.

"...So?" Dianna asked, startled. Lucario never got angry with her.

~_So__! __It__ was __my __fight__. __If __I __was __destined __to __lose __so __be __it__! __I __deserved __it__!_~ Lucario said angrily.

"Fine! See if I keep you from getting yourself killed again," Dianna said quietly, allowing all the anger inside of her to seep out in her voice. "Next time, you're on your own."

Tyler had been watching silently, but now he spoke up, "Listen, Lucario, you're mad that you lost. So what? Get over it. You can't win them all."

~_I __know __that__!_~ Lucario growled at Tyler.

"Then get over it." Tyler repeated. "Why are you so mad you lost, anyway?"

~_It__'__s __none__ of __your __business__._~ Lucario snarled back.

"Okay okay! Don't kill me! It was only a question!" Tyler said.

~Hmf...~ Lucario grunted.

"Lucario, if you can't be nice don't talk at all. I'm leaving. I'll be at my house. See you guys later," Dianna said as she walked away. Inwardly, she was hurt and angry at the way Lucario had snapped at her. She just wanted to be alone for a while.

...

Dianna's home was on the other end of the town but it only took less than ten minutes for her to get there. The house was quite small. There was a fence going around the yard. As Dianna walked through the door she announced, "I'm home!" to whoever was listening.

"Hi, Dianna!" Dianna's aunt, Marie, answered back. "Where were you last night?"

"I stayed at Mrs. Lanky's house. You know, the healer. We ran into some wild Pokemon in the woods while we were training and Dratini was hurt bad." Dianna answered using the excuse she had made earlier.

"You should've checked in with me! I was worried after what happened with your parents..." Marie scolded.

"I'm old enough to take care of myself!" Dianna argued back.

"I know but it sure helps when you tell me what's going on so I don't worry." Marie said.

"Whatever, I'll be in my room," Dianna sighed, giving up.

"Alright..." Marie said back. Marie was Dianna's dad's sister. Because the region didn't allow children under the age of twelve to live on their own and any who do not go on a Pokemon journey had to wait until they were 18 to leave the house Dianna had to live with her aunt until she decided to leave on her journey. Which was probably not going to happen for a while yet.

Dianna sat down on her bed. Her room was small. The bed was along the far corner of the room under the window. There was a small dresser opposite it. A chair and a bookshelf made up the rest of the room. Dianna un-clipped Dratini's Pokeball, pressed the middle button, and tossed it into the air. Dratini appeared in a flash. "Hello, Dratini," Dianna said to her Pokemon.

"Dratini!" Dratini replied.

"Lucario's fine. He's back to his normal, ornery self. So is Tyler, the man who saved us." Dianna explained. "I came back here to relax." Dratini nodded, she understood humans but Dianna failed to understand her. Dianna decided to say something about that.

"How come you can understand me but I can't understand you?" Dianna asked. Dratini just cocked her head as if telling Dianna to figure it out herself. "Hmm... I don't know. I wonder why that's never been studied by scientists.. Maybe they _are_ studying it and just don't know." Dratini didn't react.

"Why don't you say or do something so I'll understand?" Dratini ignored her. "Oh, so you ignore me. Fine! I don't like you either." Dianna did her best to act angry but found it impossible to be mad at her Pokemon. "I'm going to take a shower then I'm going to bed. See you in a while, Dratini." Dianna said as she went into the bathroom.

...

After her shower, Dianna walked into her room to find Dratini sleeping on the end of her bed. She glanced at her clock; 9:26. _Time __for __bed__. _She decided and crawled under the covers trying not to disturb her Pokemon.

...

The sun woke Dianna in the morning. Yawning, she looked over at the clock. It was 8:35. Too awake to fall back asleep but not awake enough to move, Dianna laid where she was. Her room had heated up quickly in the morning sun and soon Dianna found herself too warm under the blankets. Slowly, she sat up, her legs hanging over the edge of her twin sized bed. "Dra," Dratini said, Dianna's movements having woken her up.

"Good morning, Dratini," Dianna said softly. She stood up and stretched. "Hungry?"

Dratini shook her head. "Okay then. I'm going to get dressed and have some breakfast. When you want some, just ask." Dianna said as she pulled a shirt out of her dresser. She quickly got changed and hurried down the hall and into the kitchen.

Marie was still sleeping, so Dianna was careful to be quiet. She pulled down a box of cereal and poured some into a bowl. She dumped a little milk into it and sat down at the table to eat. As she ate, her mind wandered. _Why __did __that __man __attack __Lucario __like __that__? __I __don__'__t__ think __he __was __a __Pokemon __trainer __and __he __definitely__ wasn__'__t __fighting __to __capture__. __If __he __was__, __he __wouldn__'__t__ have __hurt __Lucario __so __badly__... __I __wish __Lucario __would __tell __me__... _

Done with her breakfast, Dianna put her bowl into the sink. Reaching into a cupboard, she pulled down Dratini's Pokemon food and poured some into a dish which she sat on the floor. Dratini, who had come into the kitchen while Dianna was eating, dug into her food. When she was done, Dianna placed the dish on the counter and pulled on a pair of shoes. "I thought we'd take a walk, okay?"

"Dratini!" Dratini agreed with a nod. Dianna moved toward the door, Dratini following her.

Once outside, Dianna began walking down the street, towards the last place she had seen Tyler. She wanted to know more about the man who had saved her life. When she reached Mrs. Lankey's house, she knocked on the door. It took a few minutes but eventually she answered.

"Hello," Dianna said nervously. "Is Lucario or Tyler still here?"

"Lucario's not, he left about an hour ago. Tyler decided to stay here with me until he found somewhere else to stay.." Mrs. Lanky replied.

"Is he here right now?" Dianna asked.

"No, he told me he was going to go explore the town a little. I tried to tell him there was nothing to see in this little town but he left anyway." Mrs. Lanky said.

"Do you know where he went?"

"Yes, he said he'd be in or around the woods. Most likely training his Pokemon. He didn't give me exact locations and I didn't ask." Mrs. Lanky said.

"Thanks," Dianna said as she picked up Dratini. It was sometimes easy to carry her Pokemon than to have to slow down so she could keep up. "See you later!" were the last words she spoke to Mrs. Lankey as she left the healer's house.

Dianna hurried towards the woods. She wanted to try and catch Tyler training his Pokemon. Dianna hadn't seen another person training up close before and she wanted to know what types of Pokemon he trained. There was not much time to waste.

...

After several minutes of searching, Dianna came across Tyler training a Pokemon she hadn't seen before. The Pokemon was mainly tan colored. Its large ears were green and the fur was placed in a way that made the ears resemble a leaf. Its tail was similar to its ears. There was a long tuft of green fur that grew out of the Pokemon's head between its ears. Each of its four paws were a brown color. Dianna watched while Tyler asked the Pokemon to do several complicated exercises. The Pokemon was fast, faster than many of the Pokemon Dianna had ever seen. Its movement was a blur to Dianna's eyes. Finally, Tyler asked it to rest. The Pokemon complied with a cry Dianna could not hear due to the rustling of the branches above her. Dratini, who was resting over Diana's shoulders, slithered down onto the ground and out into the clearing. "Dratini!" Dianna hissed. Dratini ignored her and continued toward Tyler.

Tyler's Pokemon noticed Dratini before he did. It let out a threatening growl. Tyler looked at his Pokemon in surprise and followed its gaze. "Dratini! What are you doing here?" Tyler asked, surprised. "Where's Dianna?" Dratini did not respond and just kept staring at Tyler's Pokemon.

Dianna stood and followed Dratini's path into the clearing. "Hi, Tyler," Dianna said loudly. "Dratini, why didn't you listen to me?" she added, glaring at her Pokemon. Dratini glanced at Dianna for a second and once again turned her gaze towards the tan Pokemon. "I think Dratini wants to know what kind of Pokemon that is," Dianna said to Tyler.

"Leafeon." Tyler said. "Her name is Willow."

"A Leafeon?" Dianna said. She had never heard of them before. "Is she a grass type?"

"Yep." Tyler replied.

"She's very beautiful." Dianna said softly. "That reminds me! Dratini, remember when I promised to name you?" Dratini nodded slowly. "Well, I'll do it now!" She stood still for a second, thinking. "Um, Tyler, any ideas?" Dianna asked when her mind came up blank.

"You're on your own for this one," Tyler said.

"Ugh!" she said, thinking. _Silver__... __no__... __Pearl__... __no__... __Feather__... __no__... __How __about__... __no __that __won__'__t __work__... __Hmmm__... __Aura__... __umm__... __no__... __I __know__! __Dawn__. __I__'__ll __call __her __Dawn__. _Kneeling down, Dianna looked her Pokemon straight in the eye. "What do you think of Dawn?"

Dratini stared back at Dianna for a few seconds before nodding her head.

"Good, Dawn it is." Dianna decided. "So, Tyler, what do you think of the name?"

"I think it's a good fit." Tyler said with a smile. "Don't you, Willow?"

"Le!" the Leafeon said in agreement.

"So, Tyler... I was wondering if we could train together for a while..." Dianna said to Tyler nervously after several seconds had gone by in silence.

"Um, sure. I guess that's okay." Tyler agreed. "Do you want to have a battle?"

"Okay!" Dianna said, smiling. "How's that sound Drat- um... Dawn?"

Dawn nodded in agreement. "Dratini!"

"Well, Dawn, come over here and let's start," Dianna said to her Pokemon. Dawn happily slithered over to Dianna and stopped right in front of her trainer. "Ready when you are, Tyler!"

"Right, Willow, go!" Tyler commanded. Willow responded by jumping up in front of Tyler and crouched down. "Ready?" Tyler asked Dianna.

"Yep," Dianna answered.

"Okay, I'll go first," Tyler decided. "Willow, Quick Attack!" Willow lept forward, running full speed at Dawn. Dawn stood strong, waiting for an order from Dianna.

"Dodge!" Dianna cried. Dawn jumped to the right, trying to avoid being hit. Willow, noticing the movement, followed Dawn and rammed into the Dratini's side full force. Dawn slid back over the ground a few feet, but was otherwise okay. "Dawn!" Dianna cried, shocked and worried.

"Dra!" Dawn answered, trying to calm her trainer. "Dratini tini!"

"Okay, then... Use Flamethrower!" Dianna commanded.

"Dodge it, Willow!" Willow nodded, watching for the attack. "Now!" Tyler called when Dratini's flamethrower appeared. Willow quickly jumped up above the attack. "Quick, Aerial Ace!"

Willow angled her body towards the ground and, once her feet hit the ground, raced forward with speeds greater than those of her Quick Attack. As she raced by Dawn, she was careful to ram into the Dragon type's side, throwing her off balance. Quickly, Willow spun around and continued her attack, slamming into Dawn's back, hard. Dawn cried out as her body was shoved forward and slammed into a tree.

Dianna watched, worried, as her Dratini struggled to stand up and collapsed. She did not try to stand again. "Dawn!" Dianna said as she ran forward and picked her Pokemon up gently. Dawn didn't open her eyes. "Good job, Dawn," Dianna said softly and returned her. Turning back to Tyler she said, "Good fight, Willow's really strong and fast! Now I can see how you beat that man yesterday."

"Oh, thanks," Tyler said, blushing faintly. "I've just been working with Willow for a long time. But, I've got to say, you might've beat me if that Flamethrower would've landed."

"Yeah, maybe..." Dianna said. "I'm going to get Dawn home. We've got some potions there. You can come if you'd like," Dianna offered

"No, thanks," Tyler answered. "I'm going to train for a while longer. See you around,"

"Yeah, you too," Dianna said as she walked away.

It only took a few minutes for Dianna to get home and get Dratini treated. Sighing, she sat down on the couch, a sleeping Dratini in her lap. "That's twice now. We need to get stronger... We didn't even stand a chance!" Dianna trailed off, looking at her Pokemon softly. "One day, we'll be strong like Tyler. Just you wait."

* * *

**Well****, ****that ****was ****fun****! ****I ****liked ****writing ****the ****battle ****scene****. ****In ****the ****battle****, ****I ****was ****careful ****to ****make ****sure ****the ****damage ****done ****by ****Willow ****was ****what ****would****'****ve ****really ****happened ****in ****one ****of ****the ****Pokemon ****games****. ****To ****do ****that****, ****I ****did ****some ****searching ****on ****bulbapedia ****and ****found ****out ****how ****the ****games ****decide**** how ****much ****damage ****is ****done ****by ****the ****attacks ****and ****applied ****that ****to ****the ****story****. ****Basically****, ****there****'****s**** a ****formula ****that****'****s**** used ****for ****it ****and ****all ****you ****have ****to ****do ****is ****know ****each ****Pokemon****'****s ****stats****. ****So****, ****I ****made**** some ****up ****for ****both ****Dawn ****and ****Willow****... ****Basically****, ****Willow**** turned**** out ****to ****have ****more ****speed ****and**** power ****than ****Dawn ****did****. ****But ****still****, ****if ****that ****Flamethrower ****would****'****ve ****landed****, ****Dawn ****might****'****ve ****won****... ****I ****didn****'****t**** know ****how ****much ****damage ****Aerial ****Ace ****would ****do ****until ****I ****calculated ****it ****and ****realized ****Willow ****had ****won****... ****Oh ****well****... ****Anyway****, ****please**** review****!**

**Chapter ****words****: 3,190  
**

**Current**** words****: 9,490  
**

**Current ****story ****Views****: 39**

**Current ****story ****reviews****: 1**

**Uploaded**** on****: 8/2/12**


	4. Training

**(Thanks to RedWarrior from me (Silverflight) and MewBladeXxX.)  
**

**Life's Restrictions**

_Chapter IV_

Training

* * *

It was early morning. Dianna had just woken up not half an hour ago. She was in the kitchen rinsing out the bowl she had used for cereal. Once she was sure it was clean, she set it down on the counter and sat down in a chair.

Dianna watched as Dawn slithered across the floor, looking for something to do. It had been three days since the battle with Tyler. Today would be the day she'd start training with Dawn again. She had been afraid to start training before for she didn't want to hurt Dawn again. Now, Dawn seemed to be in near perfect health.

"Are you ready, Dawn?" Dianna asked as she stood up. Dawn looked at her, confused. "Remember, I told you we were going to train today," Dianna said.

Recognition dawned across the Dratini's face. "Dratini!" she cried, sliding up to Dianna. Dianna smiled and ran to her room to grab her tennis shoes. Slipping them on, she ran back to the front door and went out, holding it open so Dianna could get out as well. Together, they set off down the road.

* * *

It didn't take them long at all to reach the place where they were going to train. It was just a small, flat clearing south of the town. Dianna looked around for a second. It wasn't perfect, but it was large enough to allow Dawn enough room to move about freely. Satisfied, she said, "Now, let's see what you can do. I'd like you to wait at the other end of the clearing for instructions." Dianna paused while Dawn followed her order. "Okay, now..." Dianna trailed off, unsure of how she could do this. "Aim your Flamethrower into the sky. Try to keep it going as long as you can."

The attack lasted about fifteen seconds. Disappointed, Dianna called, "Try putting more heat into it!" She called. "Do it again!" This time, the attack lasted just under twenty seconds and was much brighter and hotter - so hot that Dianna could see the heat waves coming off from the flames. "Good!" she called when Dawn stopped. "That was better. Now, I want you to work on your aim. Try to hit that tree over there," Dianna said, pointing to a small tree just outside of the clearing. Dianna nodded and aimed. The attack missed, sailing by the tree about thirty feet from it. "Come on!" Dianna cried. "I know you can do better than that!"

The session went on much like that. They tested the limits of each of Dawn's attacks and also worked to make them stronger and more accurate. They stopped when each of the attacks had been improved a little. Dianna decided to change things up a little.

"Okay, Dawn, I want you to practice increasing your speed in both the time it takes you to do each of your attacks and how quickly you dodge. Let's start with dodging. I want you to dodge as many of the rocks as you can as quickly as you can." Dawn nodded slowly, unsure of what Dianna was asking her. "Ready?" Dianna picked up a handful of the rocks she had collected while Dawn was training and tossed one at her Pokemon. It sailed towards her and then began to lose altitude and hit the ground a good three feet in front of Dawn. "He-he, sorry," Dianna said and tossed a different rock at the Pokemon. This one was right on and it smacked Dawn in the middle of her head.

"Dra!'' Dawn cried, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you're supposed to dodge it!" Dianna called. She picked up another rock and tossed it toward Dawn. Dawn moved slightly to the right a little and the rock missed. Dianna smiled and tossed two more rocks, one right after the other. Dawn dodged the first but missed the second. As time went on, Dawn grew much better at dodging the rocks. When that exercise was done, Dawn could dodge about every 6 out of 13. Not the greatest, but it was good enough for her first try.

"Okay, Dawn," Dianna called, "Here's what we will do next." When Dawn gave Dianna her full attention, Dianna explained, "I want you to use Dragon Rage and hold it for as long as you can." Dawn nodded, eager to please Dianna. She took a deep breath and focused her power, taking a second to charge up the attack. Then, she pointed her head toward a tree and released it. She ran out of air and power around twenty seconds later. Panting, Dawn tried to catch her breath. Dianna let out a low whistle when she spotted the large burn mark on the tree. When they had practiced with this attack some more, it would do some major damage in a battle.

"That's okay, but it could use a little work. Try again but this time charge up the attack longer and focus on how long you can keep it going not how much power you have behind it." Dianna commanded. Dawn narrowed her eyes a little and concentrated, focusing on the power within her. She felt the attack build up in her throat. She held it in until she felt like it would force her mouth open if she waited any longer. Opening her mouth, she let the flames spew out. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her and she tried to keep the attack's power limited by shutting her mouth halfway. This time, the attack lasted about twenty-eight seconds and left the tree with no leaves on its lower half.

"Good, that's what I'm looking for!" Dianna praised. Dawn let out a grin, happy that she had Dianna's approval.

* * *

The training went on for a while longer and soon both Pokemon and trainer were tired, sore, and hungry. Dianna finally told Dawn to stop. Dawn slowly made her way across the clearing toward where Dianna was sitting. Once she reached her trainer, she collapsed on the ground. Dianna smiled a little and said, "You did very good today, Dawn." She reached over and rubbed the Dratini on the head. "Very, very good," Dianna muttered. She grabbed Dawn's Pokeball and recalled her Pokemon, saying; "Here, you can rest. I'll let you out when we get home,"

Dianna stood and started for home. It was a three minute walk to the edge of the village and another three minutes to her house. By the time Dianna got to her home, it looked to be about one or two in the afternoon. She sighed as she looked in the cupboards for something to eat. She grabbed a box of mac and cheese and sat it on the counter. Then, she dug through some more cupboards and pulled out a pan, filled it with water, and sat it on the stove to boil. Then, she un-clipped Dawn's Pokeball and released her. Dianna then opened the fridge, opened a plastic bag containing all sorts of berries, and gave an Oran berry to Dawn.

After that, Dianna sat down at the table and tried her best to clear her mind of all thoughts, something she had been working on doing for a few weeks now. It wasn't as easy as it might sound. Soon after Dianna had started trying to do it, she realized that it wasn't easy to do. She noticed that the thought part of the mind had two or more different levels to it. The first level is the loudest and easiest to quiet. The next level was harder, though. It was the level that your mind uses to identify the things around you like wind or trees or light, or books, or water boiling... Water boiling! Dianna stood up quickly and hurried over to her water. She turned down the heat a little and emptied the pieces of macaroni into the pan. Then, she went back to clearing her mind.

Another thing she noticed that the mind constantly needs something to listen to; thoughts or noise. So, Dianna tried to concentrate on the sounds around her. Every now and again she heard her brain telling her 'shh! no thinking! Be quiet!' She soon got frustrated with her progress and stood to stir the noodles. It wasn't long before her meal was done. Dianna ate all that she could and set the leftovers to Dawn.

After lunch, Dianna laid down on her bed and told Dawn that she was going to take a nap. Dawn nodded and followed Dianna into her room and curled up beside her on her bed. Dawn laid still for a while, tired but not getting to sleep. Eventually, her eyes closed and she gave into the urge to sleep.

* * *

**And there you go! Chapter 4. I know it's short but it was basically a filler chapter. Please, review!**

**Chapter words: 1,535  
**

**Current words: 11,028  
**

**Current story Views: 064**

**Current story reviews: 3**

**Uploaded on: 9/21/12**


	5. I Was Wondering

**Life's Restrictions**

**Chapter V**

_I was wondering..._

* * *

The next morning, Dianna was woken by the sound of knocking on her front door. Groggily, she stood and stumbled out of her room and to the door. She peeked out the eye hole to see who it was. The tall form of Tyler greeted her. She watched as he impatiently bent forward and tried to look inside through the eye-hole. Not seeing anything, he straightened back up and went to knock on the door. As soon as his knuckles touched it, the door swung open.

"What?" Dianna asked, rubbing her eyes. Tyler looked startled for a second but he quickly composed himself.

"Can I come in?" he asked, peering around Dianna and into the living room behind her. Dianna turned to see what he was looking at but didn't see anything special.

"Sure," she said, turning back around and stepping to the side and out of the doorway, yawning.

"Thanks," Tyler mumbled, stepping inside and reaching down to take off his shoes.

"Oh, don't worry about the shoes. They're fine," Dianna said, watching him. Tyler stood back up and smiled.

"Okay," he said. "Can I sit?"

"Yes, of course!" Dianna replied, sound slightly exasperated. She led the way toward the couch.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Impatiently, Dianna said, "So, what brings you here today?"

"Umm..." Tyler said, stalling. "Well, I..."

"Spit it out!" Dianna cried.

"I... was wondering if..." Tyler began. "You know what, forget it. It was stupid." He stood to leave. Dianna quickly jumped up and stepped in front of him to block his way.

"No, you came here to say something and you're going to say it," she said to him.

"Really, you wouldn't agree to it anyway," Tyler mumbled. He tried to step around Dianna but she moved again to block him. He sighed. "Alright, I just wanted to know if you'd like to go on a... journey... with me."

Dianna stared at him. "Why did you ask?" she said.

"Well, I've wanted someone to come with me for a while now... It's lonely going everywhere alone." he said. When Dianna didn't reply he stepped around her and hurried to the door. He hesitated for a second and turned around. "Look, sorry for bothering you. I'll be going now," he said, turning back around and opening the door. Dianna opened her mouth, wanting to say something but not knowing what. Finally, she spoke.

"Let me think about it, okay? Give me a few hours. I'll come and find you," she said. He said nothing and closed the door behind him.

Dianna couldn't move or think for several seconds. This was the last thing she'd expected. Yes, she did want to go see the world but Lucario wouldn't want to come and she didn't want to lose such a good friend. '_But, I've promised Dawn I'd help her get stronger... What better way than to go exploring_?' she thought to herself. Her fingers made their way up to Dawn's Pokeball and fingered it while she was thinking. '_Maybe I'll go see Lucario_,' she decided.

Dianna walked toward the door and opened it. She stood, blinking in the morning sun, letting her eyes adjust. It sure was a beautiful morning. The sun was hitting the trees just right and making them shine. 'Perhaps that's a good omen,' she thought. Stepping outside, she closed the door and headed toward the woods.

* * *

It was almost eleven o'clock before she found Lucario. He was standing still, staring at the sky. ~_Yes?_~ he asked, eyes flicking toward Dianna..

"Umm... T-" she began but paused; deciding to take a different approach. "What do you think about me going on a journey?"

Lucario stared at her. ~_Why do you ask?_~

"Oh, well... Tyler wanted to know if I would like to go with him," she said.

~_Really?_~ Lucario muttered to himself. ~_Well..._~ he trailed off as if wondering how to respond. Dianna watched anxiously, wanting to know his answer. ~_I think it would be a good experience,_~ he said at last.

"But what about you?" she asked him.

~_I'll be fine,_~ he replied.

"Are you sure? You can come if you like. Maybe we'd meet your trainer somewhere," she pressed.

~_I don't know..._~ he said, uncertainly.

"Please?" Dianna begged.

~_Alright,_~ he agreed, sighing. ~_I need some more practice, anyway. I'm getting soft._~

"Really!" Dianna gasped. "Thank you!"

~_Yeah, well just don't push your luck. I might change my mind. Come and get me when you are ready to go_,~ he instructed.

"Okay," Dianna agreed. "I'll be back sometime," she said.

...

It took Dianna about another hour to find Tyler. She found him, Willow, and the bird type Pokemon, Spearow, under a tree just west of town. "Hello," she said. Willow immediately turned her gentle gaze on Dianna while the Spearow automatically opened its wings and beak in a threatening pose. Dianna began to grow nervous, afraid of an attack.

"Enough, Slash," Tyler said quietly, looking at Dianna. The Spearow reluctantly lowered its wings and closed it beak but kept its eyes trained on Dianna.

"Um... I'll come," Dianna said awkwardly. "Lucario said he will, also,"

"You will!" Tyler said, eyes lighting up. "That's great!"

"When do we leave?" Dianna asked.

"I was think tomorrow morning," Tyler answered. Dianna hesitated.

"I guess that will be alright," she muttered. She had been hoping to have just a little longer before she had to leave.

"Good," Tyler said. "I'll be at your house at nine."

"Sounds good," Dianna agreed. "I guess I'll go get ready."

"Okay," Tyler responded.

...

Dianna was hurrying around her room, packing things. She knew she wouldn't want to carry around too many things so she only packed light. She grabbed three pairs of every article of clothing, stuffed in a blow up pillow, a pump to blow up the pillow, a thin sleeping bag which, when filled with air, would fluff up nicely, several Pokeballs, a few bags of Pokemon food, medicine for humans and Pokemon, and several other things. When she was done, she dropped the pack on her bed and let Dawn out of her ball.

"So, Dawn. Tomorrow we are leaving," she said as soon as her Pokemon appeared.

"Dra?" Dawn asked, confused.

"Tyler asked if I wanted to go on a Pokemon journey with him and I said yes," Dianna explained. Dawn was silent for a second and then she smiled.

"Dratini!" she said happily.

"Lucario will come with us as well," Dianna added.

"Dra? Dratini!' Dawn said again, excited.

"We will leave tomorrow at nine, so we'll need to get up at seven. I've already explained to Marie that I'm leaving. All that's left is a shower and then bed."

"Dra," Dratini said with a nod.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a few." Dianna said, hurrying to the shower.

...

The next morning found Dianna rushing to pack a few last minute things. Marie was listing things off that she might need and Dianna was starting to get annoyed. Finally, there was a knock on the door. Dianna rushed down the stairs and swung open the door.

"Finally! You're like..." Dianna said, glancing back at the clock on the wall. "...right on time,"

"Yeah, I told you I would be here at nine, so here I am," Tyler said.

"Oh, hello," Marie's voice sounded behind Dianna. "So you are the one who's come to steal my little niece. Come in!"

"Um.. Yeah," Tyler said, eyes flashing with an emotion Dianna didn't catch. His gaze quickly turned back to normal and he slid past Dianna and into the house.

"Tyler, Marie. Marie, Tyler," Dianna introduced. "I met Tyler that night I was out training Dawn."

"Ahh," Marie said. "Well, remember to call every now and again. And Tyler, keep good care of her. I don't know what I would do if something happened to her."

"I will. She won't get out of my sight," Tyler promised. Dianna decided to interrupt.

"Well, we'd better be off. There's something I want to do before we leave."

"Oh, alright then. Be good and stay safe," Marie said, looking a little sad.

"I will," Dianna promised, heading out the door. Tyler followed.

"Where are we going?" Tyler asked.

"We've got to find Lucario. He said he'd come," Dianna answered.

"Okay," Tyler agreed. Together, they headed into the woods to the place Dianna had met Lucario the previous night. Lucario was there waiting for them.

~_Ready?_~ he asked.

"Yep, let's go!" Dianna answered. The three of them set off quietly toward the trail that ran through the woods. If they followed that trail, they would end up near a city called Rusted City. That was where their journey would begin. 'This is it,' Dianna thought to herself. She reached up and un-clipped Dawn's Pokeball and stopped to stare at it for a minute. 'Are you ready?' she asked her Pokemon, knowing that the Dratini couldn't hear her.

"Hurry up!" Tyler called to her impatiently. She looked up to see Tyler and Lucario waiting atop a small hill about a hundred yards ahead of her. Dianna smiled as she clipped the ball back into its holder and ran to catch up to the others. Together, they continued toward Rusted City.

* * *

**Chapter ****words****: 1620**

**Current ****words****: 12,648**

**Current ****story ****Views****: 089**

**Current ****story ****reviews****: 04**

**Uploaded ****on****: 08/31/12**


End file.
